FYI

Jonathan and Geneva Solomon, founders of Redstone Firearms. She brings corporate management experience to the team. He provides a deep knowledge of guns.

Trail Blazers

Redstone Firearms is a minority-owned business that thrives on education and instruction.

Following two record-setting years, the number of first-time gun buyers remains strong. African-Americans, HispanicAmericans, and other minorities have been driving much of this growth. The number of minority-owned gun stores and shooting ranges across the country also continues to increase.

Leading the way are thriving operations such as Redstone Firearms in Burbank, California. Since 2014, Jonathan and Geneva Solomon, the husband and wife co-owners of Redstone Firearms, have been blazing their own trail in the industry—finding success by putting education first.

Bonding Over Firearms The Solomons’ individual paths to founding Redstone Firearms could not have been more different. Jonathan Solomon was introduced to firearms at an early age and participated in shooting sports as a youth. He later built a career in law enforcement, where he became a “go to” advisor for officers who wanted to improve their shooting skills.

Geneva Solomon, on the other hand, did not grow up around firearms. Her introduction came in February 2009 when she visited a gun store for the first time and purchased a .40 S&W Beretta Px4 Storm for self-defense. She sought training from local instructors and fell in love with shooting.

When Jonathan and Geneva met, they immediately bonded over firearms. On their first date, Jonathan asked Geneva if she was afraid of guns. She jokingly replied that she was carrying a gun on their date in case he proved to be “crazy.”

“We were both divorced, full-time single parents of daughters, and we believed in the Second Amendment,” Geneva recalls. The couple hit it off and later married in a gun-themed wedding. From Passion to Profession The Solomons soon decided to pursue their shared passion professionally by launching Redstone Firearms, a home-based FFL business in 2014. Geneva possessed a strong business management background; she majored in business law during college and then worked her way up the corporate ladder. With Jonathan’s law enforcement and firearms training experience, the couple was uniquely positioned to succeed.

After securing an FFL, the Solomons began selling firearms from their home and offering training sessions by appointment. Business quickly grew, and Redstone Firearms became an official brick-and-mortar store in 2015.

The pandemic shifted their training program into overdrive. Enrollment exploded for the Basic Firearms educational course that Geneva had developed, going from two to three students to nearly 80 students per class almost overnight. She converted the course into an online class, which has become incredibly popular in California.

“Even when we had one person in class, Jonathan and I always operated as if there were 100 people. I think that was big during the pandemic and why we had people waiting five to eight hours,” Solomon says. “It didn’t matter that we had a line outside the door and a waiting list. We made sure you got the same amount of education and all your questions were answered. Everyone deserves the education.”

Support Within the Industry As Black gun store owners, the Solomons have faced a variety of unique challenges. Early on, they

Redstone Firearms offers a wide variety of specialized courses to its customer base.

couldn’t find other Black store owners that they could turn to for advice and guidance. However, they received support from Phillip Smith, founder and president of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA).

“He immediately sent people to meet us, and NAAGA has been one of our biggest supporters since before anyone knew who Redstone Firearms was,” Geneva says. “Once the pandemic hit, then the rest of the industry started to notice us in California because we were offering something other gun stores weren’t. Selling the firearm was secondary and education was first. That is when the name really started to grow.”

At the same time, the pair faced some unfortunate incidents that challenged their commitment to their store.

“We didn’t really have anyone to ‘look up to’ or mentor us,” Geneva says. “We had several bank accounts closed because we weren’t well versed on who would deal with a firearms company and who wouldn’t. We have sent in white faces [realtors] to negotiate leases because we were unsuccessful when trying to do it ourselves, only to be harassed by landlords once we moved in. We’ve had threatening calls, texts, emails, and even things written onto the window of the store. We had bad Yelp reviews because ‘too many Black men’ were inside the store, and we had to fight to get those taken down. And when certain distributors found out we were Black-owned, they suddenly stopped fulfilling orders.”

As sales of firearms accelerated during the pandemic, Geneva and Jonathan Solomon saw a huge increase in customers who wanted to attend their education seminars.

Words of Wisdom for Dealers Geneva’s father always advised her to build a career around something she loved. When the Solomons faced adversity while establishing Redstone Firearms, they always forged ahead because they both enjoy what they do.

“If you’re only in this for money, you won’t succeed. You have to have a love and passion for firearms, education, the Second Amendment, and sports shooting,” Geneva says. “The love of what you do will get you through the very dry and down periods. Lastly, just stay humble and keep going.”

(redstonefirearms.com)